Tanker Unity in India, where Kazakhstani is stuck, is planned to be sold

Relatives of sailors from the tanker Unity arrested in India fear the crew will remain on the vessel until it is sold. A relative of one of the crew members told TASS about these plans on October 17. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

Recall that a citizen of Kazakhstan is among the sailors.

According to the agency's interlocutor, the crew cannot yet leave the tanker. A replacement team must first arrive on board.

"We were told that the vessel is going to be sold. We are worried that our guys will not be left on it until the moment of sale," the sailor's relative said.

Who intends to buy Unity and when the deal may take place is not specified.

Earlier, relatives complained about the deterioration of the sailors' health and morale. One of the crew members was hospitalized.

As Kursiv previously wrote, the tanker was arrested on May 11 near the port of Paradip due to financial claims against the shipowner. According to data published at the time, there were 23 people in the crew: a Kazakhstani, 20 Russians and two Egyptian citizens.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan sent a diplomatic note to the Indian side asking for help in returning the compatriot home. By September, some sailors had spent more than ten months on the vessel, and most contracts had already expired or were coming to an end.

In October, Kursiv reported that a court recognized the crew as abandoned by the shipowner. The sailors were not paid wages, were not provided with necessary supplies, and their return home was not organized. Later, the insurer repaid the debt and established supplies, but the crew remained on board.

By a decision dated October 6, the court instructed the Indian authorities to organize the disembarkation of the sailors, their sending home and the replacement of the crew. This is to be done as soon as possible, preferably within three weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of the ruling.

Later, lawyers promised the sailors departure before October 28. However, the Russian Consulate General in Kolkata clarified that the exact timing and procedure for the return have not yet been determined.